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2 Sheets-Sheet 1;

(No Model.)-

C. Z. ONEILL.l

STREET SWBBPING MACHINE.

N0. 395,627. Patented Jan. 1, 18891.

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2 Sheets-Sheet2 (No Model.)

C. Z. ONEILL.

STREET SWEEEIEG MACHINE.

No. 395,627. Patented Jan. 1, 1889.

Inyenor lbnTnn ETATES PATENT CHARLES Z. ONEILL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO TILLIAM CHAP- MAN, OF SAME PLACE.

STREET-"SWEEPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 395,627, dated January 1, 1889.

Application tiled August 24, 1887 Serial No. 247,727. (No model.)

To all Vrh/0m, t may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES Z. ONEILL, of the city, county, and State of N ew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Street-Sweeping Machines; andldo hereby declare that the followingis a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accempanyin drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part oil" this specification, in which- Figure l is a plan view of my improved street-sweeping machine with the case of the ratchet actuating one of the wheels in section; Fig. 2, a vertical section in line :r @c of Fig. l 5 Fig. f5, a detached view ot' one end of the central. body or core of the broom and ofV one of its joumal-bearings in diametri@ section; Fig. 4, a detached side elevation of one end ot the broom, illustrating its gearing with the axle 5 and Fig. 5, a sectional view of the hanger and guide-rollers for the chain gearing the broom to the axle.

Similar letters indicate like parts in all of the vfigures. A

Myinventon relates to that class oi' streetsweepin machines in which the broom is set at an angle with the axle instead. of parallel therewith. ln these machines the broom is customarily geared by a chain-gear to a counter-shaft driven by the axle, but placed at some distance in front thereof. In consequence of this arrangement of gears there is a constant downward pull upon the shaft, which tends to lift the broom, and which, moreover, creates an unnecessary and injurious strain upon the horse.

The object ot' my present invention is to remedy this detect in this class ot' streetsweeping machines and to simplify the gearing and the construction of the apparatus, so as to obtain a much lighter and easier-running machine, with `fewer and simpler parts, than any heretofore made and used.

It consists, mainly, in the combination, substantially as hereinafter described and claimed, with the rotary axle ot' the machine, a broom having vertical play and mounted to revolve at an angle with said axle, and a sprocket-wheel upon the shaft carrying said broom, of a rotating shaft mounted immediately beneath the axle and geared thereto to be driven thereby, a sprocket-wheel upon said shaft, a drive-chain coupling the two wheels, and interposed guide-rollers mounted to rotate upon freely-oscillating axes and to have vertical play in suitable bearings.

It consists, also, in devices, as described and claimed, for securing the broom to the rotating shaft which carries it and t'or facilitating its movements.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents the frame of the machine; B, the rotating axle upon which the frame mounted in the customary manner; C C, the wheels secured to the axle as usual; D, the customary pawl and ratchet inclosed in a suitable case, D', at the inner end ot' each wheel-hub, and by which a reverse movement of the wheels and axle is prevented; and E, the drivers seat iixed upon an elastic curved standard, E, above the center et' the axle, as in the ordinary forms of street-sweeping machines.

A toothed wheel, F, is fitted upon the axle B at one end thereof, just inside of the journal-bearing in the frame A, and is coupled and uncouplcd with the axle to turn with it or be free therefrom by a simple clutch, G, ot' ordinary form, operated by avibrating lever, G', extending up within reach ot' the drivers hand when upon the seat E.

"The toothed wheel F gears with a pinion, H, (see Fig. 2,) upon a short counter-shaft, I, supported in hangers J, depending trom the frame A, as shown in Fig. Il. Upon this counter-shaft I is secured a sprocket-wheel, K. (See Fig. 4.)

L represents the cylindrical broom `formed upon a hollow wooden shell, lp', through which is inserted centrally its axial rod M. This rod is secured to the shell by means of a transverse pin, a, (see Fig. 3,) passing diametrically through each end of the wooden shell and through the axial rod). Each end ot' the broom is furthermore fitted with a metallic cap, N, made to embrace the same closely, and which is pierced centrally with a rectangular aperture to iit over and embrace the projecting end of the axial rod M, squared to pass snugly through it, whereby independent revolution of the cap and rod is prevented.

The periphery of each cap N is circumferentially grooved and notched, (see Fig. 3,) to

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adapt it to engage an endless chain by which to gear the broom with the driving-axle. A central hub, l), is formed upon each end of said end caps, N, of the broom to receive an outer band or cap plate, O, and form a bearing for the same. The cap-plates O O are connected, respectively, by iron arms P P', the one P with the end of the counter-shaft I at the foot of the hanger J, and the other, P', with a curved hanger, Q, secured to the frame A on the opposite side of the machine to extend out and depend therefrom in such manner as that its lower end shall bear the same relative position to the end of the broom on that side of the machine as does the lower end of the hanger J to the end of the broom on the opposite side of the machine.

The arms P P are attached to the hangers .I and Q by pivotal connections, and are furthermore provided each with a swivel-joint, c, as shown in Fig. 3, formed in the length thereof, So as to permit freedom of movement to the broom in order that it may accommodate itself to the inequalities of the ground and admit of being' readily raised and lowered, as hereinafter described.

The two arms P P are coupled together.- and the bands or cap-plates O O,i.n which the axle M of the broom is journaled, are held upon the axle by means of a cross-bar, R, extending parallel with said. axle and made fast at its ends t0 Said arms, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

The broom L geared to the sprocketwheel K by means of an endless chain, S, car ried over said sprocket-wheel K at one end and over the notched periphery of the cap iT on the proximate end of the broom at the other, as shown. in Fig. et, and the chain is guided intermediate said wheels by means of adjustable .guide-rollers T T, (see Fig. 5,) so as to be free to play vertically upon said rod. The central spherical axial. bearings, c c, for the rollers permit them .not only to rotate freely about said pivotal axes, but also to oscillate therein in any direction, so that each roller turns upon a universal joint, and is also free to play vertically upon the supportingrod V. The lower end of the rod V is stayed by means of a bracket or hanger, V', depending from the frame A. (See Fig. 5.) The rollers T T are each made in two divisions, which, after being united upon the .central spherical bearing, are secured by means of transverse bolts 'i' 11i. (See Fig. 5'.) The periphery of cach guide roller is properly notched to engage the bight of chain carried. over it.

The broom Ii is elevated and lowered in the customary manner by means of a rock-shaft, IV, (see Fig. 9,) supported in suitable bearings on the top of the :frame in line parallel with the axis of the broom and actuated bya lever, l2, which projects forward from the rock-shaft to a point inline with the drivers seat. At either end of the rock-shaft arms 13 13 are secured to project rearwardly over the bearin of the broom, andthe outer ends of these arms are connected to the outer ends of the arms carrying the broom by suspensionchains la li, as shown in Fig. 2. A chain, l5, is carried from the outer end of the lifting-lever l2 over a frictionpulley, 1G, (fixed to rotate in bearings upon the frame A,) and out to the lower end of a vertical rotating rod, 17, to which it is secured. This vertical rod i7 is fitted to rotate in suitable bearings in the frame A and in the upper end of a tripod or pedesl al, 1S, supported by the :frame over the axle 13, and on the side oll the seatE opposite that upon which the clutch-lever G is placed. A crankarm, 19, is secured to the upper end of the rod to project longitudinally therefrom above the top of the pedestal 18 in ready reach of the drivers hand, when he is on the seat E. The handle 2O on the outer end of the crank is left :free to have a limited vertical play in the crank-arjan, but is kept automatically in an elevated position by means of a spiral spring, 2l, as shown in Fig. 2. The lower end of said handle below the crank-arm is formed in the shape of a hook, 22, adapted to engage a series of notches, 23 23, formed on the under side of a segmental plate fixed to the pedestal 1S, and which describes an are having the axis of the rod 17 as its center. As the handle 2O is forced upward by its spring 2l, the hook 22 is automatically made to engage one of said notches, and thereby lock the crank and prevent a rotation of the rod I7. By releasing the rod and partly rotating it in one direction the chain l5 will be wound up thereon, so as to lift the broom L more or less from the ground, while by a reverse movement of said rod the broom will be allowed to drop.

In the operation of this improved machine the draft of the chain. S, by means of which the broom is geared to the axle, is at a point immediately under the axle instead of in front thereof, and the gearing is far more easy and direct than in the old style of machines. The friction and guide rollers T T operate to conduct the gearing-chainto the broom with the least possible friction, and by their universal movements permit the chain to accommodate itself :readil y to all heights and inclinations of the broom. As the bearings for the broom are supported by pivotal arms of equal length provided with swiveled joints in the length thereof, they allow the broom to adjust itself automatically to all the inequalities of the ground without strain upon the gearing or other parts of the machine, while the broom may be readily lifted by the driver when not required, and as readily lowered again for use by a simple .movement of the crank 19, which is wit-hin the drivers reach on one side, while the broom is thrown in and out of gear, as required, by the lever G', which is within reach on the other side.

I do not claim as new the adjustment of the lroo IIO

height of the broom from the ground by means oif a rook-shaft mounted in the frame parallel with the axis of the broom, and whieh is provided with erailk-arms, to which the arms earryingl the broom are suspended, and with a radial lever or eranlearm, by means whereof the roek-shaftis osei'llated. My invention relates to the combination, with said mechanism, of a horizontal Crank mounted wit-hin ready reaeh of the driver, provided with a eateh, by which it is automatically held in any given position, and which operates by means of a vertical shaft (to which it is secured) and an interposed winding-chain to aetuate the rock-shaft lever so as to .raise or lower it, and thereby lift or depress the broom, in manner as described.

I ela-im as my inventionl, The combination, in a street sweeping machine, of a broom revolvingI upon an axis inclined at an angle with the axle of the machine, a drivingshaft .rotatii'lg parallel with the axle and geared thereto, sproeket-wheels upon the proximate ends of the dri ving-shaft and broom-shaft, intermediate guide-rollers whose pivotal axes oseillate freely and have free vertical play in their bearings., and a drive-chain Carried over the two sproelcetwheels and said interposed guide-rollers, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth. Y

2. The Combination, with the hollow wooden eore of the eylindrieal broom in a streetsweepingmachine, of a central shaft Carried through said eore, transverse pins passing' diametrieally through the Core and shaft at or near the ends thereof", a eireular Cap-plate Vfitted upon the ends of the core to embrace the same and formed with a central. rectangular aperture to lreeeive the eounterpart angular end of the shaft, and a notehed peripheral groove adapted to engage the links of a drive-ehain, substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.,

In testimony whereofl l have signed my name to th is slureiieation in the presence of two subseribing witnesses.

CHS. Z. ONlEILL.

ll'it'nesses:

A. N'. JnsnnA, M. E. FINLEY. 

